the ribs with the gun he’d retrieved. “That’s fine. You’ll be screaming in no time.”
Wherever Jez and Willow were, I hoped they were far from here.
As we walked down the corridor, we reached a row of wall sconces that cast the hall in a dim light. The further we got from the basement entrance, the brighter the light became. Harsh fluorescent bulbs flooded an adjacent hall lined with solitary prison-style doors. This was just getting better and better. I went along willingly as they steered me down that hall. I didn’t have much of a choice. Agent Asshole shoved me against the first door we encountered.
“Look.”
I didn’t have to be told twice. Curiosity drew my attention to the small pane of glass in the center of the heavy iron door.
Inside was a man sprawled on a double bed. The mattress was fluffy, the blankets thick but aged. The concrete walls were decorated with drawings depicting buildings, scenery and an array of people. The man scribbled furiously in a notepad, bringing another image to life by the light that a reading lamp provided him.
“He’s precognitive.” Agent A informed me. “We promise to take care of his family. In exchange, he shows us likely outcomes of events and decisions.”
“Looks like he’s lost his mind,” I muttered. The poor bugger was oblivious to anything but the image he was creating. “So what you’re saying is he’s a prisoner. Forced to be a tool for the government until it drives him mad. I wish I could say I was surprised.”
Agent A tugged his tie loose, careful not to take an eye from me. “Hey, his daughter can afford to go to Harvard now.”
A cold, sick feeling spread through me. The FPA was no better than Shya. Their shady deals worked out only to their benefit no matter what they bartered away. Sickening.
“He doesn’t speak anymore,” the other agent spoke directly to me for the first time. “It won’t be long before he’s on his way to the end of the hall. They all end up there eventually.”
I turned sharply toward the agent, but Asshole jabbed me in the ribs again, forcing me on.
“Shut up, Hastings,” he snapped. “There’s a reason I do all the talking.”
“You mean other than you simply love the sound of your own voice?” I asked with a sour smile.
Agent Asshole responded by slamming me into the next door we came across. My teeth smacked together, and my head bounced off the glass. But, the pain was quickly forgotten when I saw what was on the other side.
A little girl lay curled up in the center of the bed. Surrounded by stuffed animals, with her golden locks spread out on the pillow, she looked so tiny and innocent. She couldn’t have been more than eight years old. Fast asleep, the sound of my head bouncing off the thick door had failed to wake her.
“You fucking monsters,” I breathed, unable to tear my gaze from the child’s sleeping form.
Agent Asshole chuckled and nodded his greasy head. “Looks can be deceiving. Ain’t that right, werewolf? That kid may look sweet and pure, but her parents begged us to take her.”
“Why? What can she do?”
The chuckle continued. The bastard enjoyed giving me the grand tour. I turned to him with a glare.
His shit-eating grin vanished. “She summons demons. And, it ain’t for tea parties.”
My jaw dropped. She was just a child. “But how? Why?”
“It doesn’t matter,” came his flippant reply. “As long as we can use it.”
“Is that all you see her as? A tool? An object?” I resisted him when he tried to shove me away from the window. The result was another Taser blast that had me seized up on the floor. I bit my tongue, and blood filled my mouth.
Agent Asshole stood over me. “A weapon, actually.”
It was several minutes before I could get up. As I struggled to get my stiff muscles to move again, I thought of all the ways I’d love to kill him. One day the FPA agent would look back on this night with regret. So much regret. He was my victim; he just didn’t know it yet.
“Alright, enough with the dramatics,” he barked, hauling me to my feet. “Keep moving. We’re not there yet.”
I held my tongue, knowing if I opened my mouth a growl would come out. My wolf itched to bury my thick fangs in his throat, but she would have to wait.
Though we skipped several doors, he showed me a few more